Stop & Shop asparagus shipment turns up with 30 pounds of marijuana

About 30 pounds of marijuana were found Friday inside a tractor trailer that was delivering asparagus to the Stop & Shop Distribution Center in Freetown.

Brian Fraga Herald News Staff Reporter @BfragaHN

FREETOWN — About 30 pounds of marijuana was found Friday inside a tractor-trailer that was delivering asparagus to the Stop & Shop Distribution Center in Freetown.

The produce delivery originated from Lodi, Calif. The truck driver told Freetown police Detective Shane Kelly that she did not know about the marijuana, Freetown police Chief Carlton Abbott said.

“She picked up the truck and drove it from Point A to Point B, and made several stops along the way,” Abbott said.

A supervisor on the Freetown facility’s loading dock spotted the marijuana inside the trailer and notified a security officer, who, in turn, contacted the Freetown Police Department around 11:45 a.m. Friday, Abbott said.

“We’ve been called before to the Stop & Stop facility for similar discoveries,” Abbott said, adding that the police department receives periodic reports of contraband, usually marijuana, arriving in trucks at the distribution center.

A Massachusetts State Police K-9 unit officer swept the facility with his police dog and did not find any other contraband. The truck driver cooperated with Kelly’s investigation.

“At this time, we don’t believe the Stop & Shop facility was involved in this,” Abbott said. “Stop & Shop has always been cooperative. They’ve been a good business neighbor.”

Stop & Shop released a statement Friday saying it was “cooperating fully” with authorities. The company added: “As law enforcement is conducting an active investigation, we will have no further comments at this time.”

Abbott said law enforcement authorities in Lodi have also been notified and that the marijuana has been seized and is being held as evidence. Abbott said the investigation is ongoing.